Home with Kids In SF

Hello there– Just home from a kid-filled week in San Francisco– Lots of quiet days breaking out the crayons and building blocks and library books.  I’m grateful to have sweet days with the 4 grand-kids up there.

My big occupation was keeping company with Little Lois while her Mom went to work– Here we are around the house.

     

One day Uncle Aaron picked us up for a morning with the cousins– Mae, Eero & baby Otto.
      

There was a park day out with friends.
     

And a morning inspection of the house remodel -almost done!!

     

It was a fine full week– love seeing how those grand-kids are growing and changing!  Thanks thanks Ani & Brian– and Aaron too.  It’s always the best to be together.

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A Fine Week in San Francisco

Hello all– Home from a fine full week with kids in San Francisco.  The main event was sitting with Baby Lois for 3 days while her Mom worked, but there were long conversations over good meals with her parents, mornings with grand-kids Mae, Eero and baby Otto  and a park birthday party for 8 one year olds!

Little Lois and I spent our days sharing books –at home and the SF central library.

     

We spent a couple mornings hanging out with cousins Mae, Eero and baby Otto.
     

I especially loved snooping around the construction sight on Ani & Brian’s remodel.  It won’t be too much longer for them to move back in!

     

And the highlight of the week– a birthday party for 8 baby friends, all born in October 2016!  There were costumes and cake and lots of fun photos of all those cute kids!

     

So thanks Ani & Brian for taking me in, for beautiful meals at your table and pastry afternoons, for sharing the celebrations for little Lois.  It was the best.

Happy Grandma

Hey there– It’s been a grand week– we trooped up to San Francisco to meet our new baby grand-guy baby Otto!!  Hung out with his brother & sis– that Eero and Mae.  Watched baby Lois 3 days while her mom headed off to work and to top it off landed in Ojai today with the 3 big grand-girls to celebrate Maryann’s birthday #9!!  It was a fine full week!

It was good times with little Lois — reading, crawling, hanging out with Mom & Dad.

   

Always a great time with Mae & Eero –picking Mae up at school, out for ice cream, playing at home, and Mae & I assisting on Jessica’s extraordinary donut making day!

     

And then there was new baby Otto– sweet and tender– so much fun to study his little face and watch him squirm and wiggle!
    

To finish the week off, we trekked up to Ojai to get in on the fun of Maryann’s #9 splashy birthday party at the pool.  Love that friendly, inventive girl!

   

So it was the best week– lots of hugs and talks and playtime with grand-kids.  What more could a grandma ask for?!  And one more photo to remember that getting that perfect angelic grand-girls photo doesn’t always work out–

Our New Little Guy

He’s here!  Little Otto Acer, born on Monday, August 7th.  We’ve been waiting for this new little grand-guy, praying for his safe arrival and here he is, welcomed by his fine parents and big sis Mae and big brother Eero.  So so thankful for this new little life come into the big wide world.  God bless you Baby Otto in all that lies ahead.

     

 

Rain and Shine in San Francisco

 

Hi friends– Back from a week of pounding rain followed by glorious sunshine in San Francisco.  Went up to watch little grand-girl Lois, while her mom trolleyed off to work, and to help pack a few boxes to empty the house for a remodel.  Funny — I have dozens of pictures of that Lois and not one to show you of boxes!

Loveable Lois and I read books, sang songs, danced around the living room and had long talks about all she has ahead…

     
photos: Off to visit the pediatrician check-up, tummy-time!  & on the changing table.

And we spent a day with Mae & Eero (more grand-kids in SF).  That is always loads of lively fun fun!

     
photos:  Mae absorbed in her new book, stop at the bookshop, Eero checking on his new cousin.

And in SF we usually find our way to good places to eat.

   

photos: family fills the window seat at Smitten ice cream shop, a festive birthday dinner for Ani at Outerlands, Mediterranean roasted chicken wrap on the back patio at Souvla,  afternoon tea and desert at Tartine Manufactory.

Thank you AA & Jessica, Ani & Brian for a best time talking and eating and walking with you and those sweet grand-kids.  Loved it.

San Francisco — Grandma Style!

 

Hi friends– Two of our kids and their families live in San Francisco, so we’re often trekking up the Interstate.  Usually our stays are laced with scenic hikes, new restaurants, favorite books shops, and some fun touristing (I’m talking the Delores Mission around the corner from Bi Rite Ice Cream!).

But I’m just home from almost 3 weeks in SF with a whole new agenda– meeting and welcoming new baby Lois!  It was all snuggles on the couch, stroller walks, diaper changes and lots of early firsts–first bath, first visit to her pediatrician, first outing downtown…  I was besotted.  And loved the quieter, gentler version of this SF visit.

So here’s some highlights from those magical days with Little Lois and her newly minted parents, Ani & Brian.

Since our Lois arrived 10 days early, we spent her first few days washing up baby clothes and sheets and blankets and organizing her new room, things we had planned to do before she was born.
   

There were some fun “firsts”– Here she is on her first day out to lunch,  her first check up with the pediatrician, after her first bath,  watching her first Cal Berkeley game with her grandma, her first trip down town SF.
     

     

And, happily for me, there are two other grand-kids just across town.  So we there was some more chances to grand-mother away with our Mae and Eero.  Love those 2 bright and spunky kids.  photos: Mae in the box of buddies, out for a walk, story time with Gr. Larry, and Eero and his Dad watch a video of him knocking down the tower of blocks.

     

And the best part of a grandma’s trip to SF?  The sweetest bit for me is watching our kids be such smart and tender parents.  It’s a whole new time of life for them and it’s a joy to watch them take it up so well.
   

It was a marvelous memorable time and I’m so thankful that little Lois is here.  So much joy.

Thanks Aaron, Jessica, Mae & Eero for the fun hang-outs!! And thanks too, to Ani & Brian for the sweetest time with the new baby Lois.

Road Trip to San Francisco with those Grand-girls

Morning fog across the hills at the old Fort Baker on the Bay (now a hotel, restaurant)

Hello friends–Just back from a trip up the coast with 3 girls in the backseat to San Francisco to hang out with their aunts, uncles and cousins.  We had a lot of crazy kid centric fun–  And stuck to our two rules– #1. No Grumping  #2. One Ice Cream Every Day!!   Here’s my favorite bits of the trip:

First stop, across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Discovery Museum, a wonderland for kids.

     

     

Ani & Brian treated three girls all dressed in their best to a fancy Tea Party!

     

We strolled down to Ocean Beach to take in a Corgi Fest!!  Over 600 Corgis on the run across the sand and in the water!!

      

And there were plenty of picnics and playgrounds to round out the week!  (This day we were at the west end of Golden Gate Park!)

   

And the sweetest for me is seeing those cousins–jump and laugh and color and play together.  Big Hugs for Maryann, Charlotte, Jobay and Little Mae (and Eero back by the window!!).

Thanks once again Ani & Brian, AA & Jessica for the good times together.  There’s nothing I love more than days with you all. It’s the best.

Quick San Francisco Weekend

Hi all– It was a grand grandkid time.  If you some grandkids yourself, you know what I mean.  We made a dash up to SF last weekend to talk and play and read books and eat with our kids. There were some sweet moments.  Here’s my favorites…

Saturday morning we trekked north across the bridge to the old Fort Baker, historic military quarters, that have now been transformed into a lodge.  We ate at the the Murray Circle restaurant there, overlooking the Bay and the Golden Gate.  (pictures: Mae & her mom waiting for brunch, view from our table on the porch, chicken hash & eggs)

     

We took a blustery afternoon stroll down to Ocean Beach through the Sunset– blue skies and some good sand digging with our Mae.  (pictures: Aaron & Grandpa with Mae, some good sandy digging, walk up from the beach).

   

And it was good to just kick back around the house and have some grand-kid time.  (pictures: Grandpa and Eero having a “conversation,”  opening some belated Christmas gifts together)

Sunday we ended up at Ani & Brian’s for for luscious lunch.  It was the last day of their “vegetarian January” so we got in on butternut squash soup and a bright citrus salad!  Love hanging out with them and, of course, that dog Harry.  (pictures: warming soup!  Bri & Ani, and out walking with that Harry.)
     

Thankful for a weekend with you all– thanks for the office tour AA, thanks for the time to talk at coffee Jessica–you know I love that, thanks for the hugs & books & smiles Eero and Mae, thanks for the beach walk & the beautiful lunch Ani & Bri.  It was the best!

Meeting our new little Eero

Aaron with his new little Eero (thanks for the photo, Jessica)

Hi Friends–  We made a quick trip, up the interstate to San Francisco this past weekend to meet brand new baby Eero!  So much cuddling and singing and studying that little guys sweet face.  It was a joy.  Plus we got to hang out with his big sister Mae and their fine parents, A + J.  And good times, too with Ani and Brian.  Here’s just a few pics:

     

We loved being at Aaron and Jessica’s– the chance to play with our grand-girl Mae and catch up with our kids and have a scrumptious Mother’s Day waffle breakfast around their table.

     

And we had some great Ani & Brian hang out time too– a snacky lunch at the Sunset Brewing Company and Ani’s yeasty waffles.  Plus another momental hike down to the beach for coffee and back up through Golden Gate Park.  It was grand.

So long for now little Eero.  Hope to see you again real soon– God bless and keep you.